State Has Enrolled More Than 56,000 In The Oregon Health Plan

While Oregon's new health exchange has yet to secure insurance for one person, the state has enrolled more than 56,000 in the Oregon Health Plan.

The state wants Oregonians to buy their health insurance through its new exchange, CoverOregon.

People can fill in applications on the site. But software problems mean those applications can't be processed to let people know if they should get individual insurance with tax breaks, or whether their incomes are low enough to qualify for the Oregon Health Plan.

Patty Wentz with the Oregon Health Authority says her agency has 'fast-tracked' enrollment in the Oregon Health plan by pre-screening 260,000 people and sending them letters. So far 56,000 have returned those letters and are now enrolled, "So we reduced the un-insurance rate in the state by 10 percent in just under two weeks," she said.

CoverOregon says people should be able to enroll by themselves online by the end of the month.

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